Free Guy is the 438th episode of the Screen Junkies comedy series Honest Trailers. It was written by Spencer Gilbert, Danielle Radford and Lon Harris. It was narrated by Jon Bailey as Epic Voice Guy. It parodies the 2021 action comedy film Free Guy. It was published on March 15, 2022, to coincide with the release of the newest Ryan Reynolds film at the time of posting, The Adam Project, on Netflix. It is 6 minutes and 9 seconds long. It has been viewed over 200,000 times.
Script[]
You've seen Ryan Reynolds quip his way through three assassin adventures (Deadpool, Smokin' Aces, The Hitman's Bodyguard), two heist adventures (Red Notice, 6 Underground), and one "What if ghosts were also cops?" adventure. (R.I.P.D.)
Nick Walker: This is a joke...
Mildred Proctor: Hilarious. Hahahaha...
Now, before you see him quip his way through a time travel adventure (The Adam Project), see Ryan quip where you've never seen him quip before: in a video game.
Hal Jordan (Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters): Yeah, she's good. And I'm fine, too. Thank you for asking.
Okay, fine; in a cool video game. (Molotov Girl blows up a police car with an RPG-7)
Free Guy
Welcome to Free City, an online multiplayer world that's one-part GTA V, one-part Fortnite, and... that's where the references stop, because the script is from 2016. (a Deadline article with the title "Fox Buys 'Free Guy' Action Comedy From Matt Lieberman" pops up, focusing on the posting date of November 15, 2016)
Guy: (as Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" plays, and as he flies past a wrecking ball after failing to grab it) Nope!
Inside, it's a world full of sentient NPCs, trapped in a loop of violence, suffering, and sexual exploitation, but as awful as that sounds, it's based on an even worse idea.
Keys: --it's essentially a fishbowl game. People aren't playing it; they're... they're watching it grow.
So, yeah; Taika made some changes. No one's dropping sixty bucks to play Small Talk Simulator. (multiple prompts pop up, saying "Quip", "Catchphrase", "Pop Culture Reference", and "4th Wall Break", with "Quip" being chosen)
Guy: (after licking an ice cream cone) It's like my tongue had a baby with a sunrise.
Okay, thirty bucks.
Lesser actors transform their looks or personality for a role, but when you're People's former Sexiest Man Alive, you just keep doing variations of Ryan Reynolds until they stop paying you for it (shows clips from Ryan Reynolds' filmography, including Van Wilder, Waiting, The Proposal, Adventureland, Definitely, Maybe, and Red Notice), and Guy is one of RyRen's more lovable recent Deadpools.
Guy: It's like losing my virginity... but in my mouth.
He'll climb the ranks of the Free City Leaderboard by role-playing as a killer cop, all to impress the girl of his dreams: Millie. In the game, she's a super-hot ass-kicker with attitude, but outside, she's... still Jodie Comer, so... same diff. Then, there's the two programmers, Mouser and Keys. "Mouser" and "Keys"? Come on, did this guy (Dude) name them?
Dude: You seem... adjective.
Keys invented a way to put a real version of his crush in a video game, and we're all just going to pretend he wasn't planning to f*ck it one day. And making life difficult for everyone is studio boss Antwan, who's like Taika Waititi once all the success and threesomes start going to his head. (a Page Six article with the title "Taika Waititi addresses three-way kiss with Rita Ora, Tessa Thompson" pops up)
Antwan: Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?
Say what you will about Free Guy, but good for these two; they've come a looong way since their last movie together.
Thomas Kalmaku: I want to see it.
Hal Jordan: Fine.
Thomas Kalmaku: (after Hal changes into his Green Lantern uniform) You're a superhero... (chuckles)
Experience a film that mixes the biggest game streamers of today with the gamer-speak of twenty years ago...
Mouser: --boot the trash-ass noob and ban him for life...
Molotov Girl: Wow, you are a special kind of noob.
Molotov Girl: Don't crib your jokes from the trolls of Free City.
Guy: Trolls...?
...with cameos by Jacksepticeye, Pokimane, Ninja, uh... that one (DanTDM), and... that guy (LazarBeam), and, uh... pass? (a man and two women speaking about the NPCs of Free City) Oh, that's Channing Tatum! I recognize him! But the best surprise of all is more Ryan Reynolds; stealing the show is Hollywood's most evil creation yet, as they finally found a way for A-list actors to outsource the steroids to someone else's body. You can put the protein shake down now, Chris (Chris Hemsworth as Thor), and Hugh (Hugh Jackman as Wolverine), and Chris (Chris Pratt as Star-Lord), and Tom (Tom Hardy as Tommy Riordan Conlon in Warrior), and Chris (Chris Evans as Ari Levinson in The Red Sea Diving Resort), and-- (Dwayne Johnson as Lt. Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch)
In a world dominated by the same handful of franchises, cheer for an original movie to crush it at the box office, (montage comparing scenes from the film to The Truman Show) in this brand-new story about an extremely friendly guy, who doesn't realize he's in a fake world designed for our entertainment, full of background jokes that tip us off something's subtly wrong, where he gets fixated on a strange woman from the real world that he's only seen once, and his best friend is designed to keep him immersed in the reality, and he starts slowly getting curious to try new things, and we keep cutting away to news reports and reactions from viewers around the world, and he can only escape by getting over the uncrossable water and past the horizon, while the mastermind throws every possible kind of obstacle in his path. Yes siree; any similarities to any other films are just... one of those... coincidences where... two writers have... the exact same idea... 25 years apart.
Truman Burbank: Oh, and in case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.
Guy: Don't have a good day; have a great day.
So whether you're looking for more of the same or the same of more, this movie's sure to have something for you, that almost has something to say about the game industry...
Keys: You said [...] Free City 2 is backwards-compatible.
Antwan: --I was lying.
...almost has something to say about class struggle...
Mouser: It's like every NPC... went on strike.
...and almost has something to say about ethics and A.I....
Buddy: --even if I'm not real, this moment is.
...but definitely has something to say about how people are dumb little seals who only clap for the things they already recognize.
Antwan: If you love Kentucky Fried Chicken, and I make Kentucky Fried Chicken, and I know that you love Kentucky Fried Chicken, why would I make another restaurant called, uh, I don't know, "Albuquerque Boiled Turkey"? / IPs and sequels; that is the thing that people want.
I know that sounds like they're making a critique, but trust me: it's a confession. (shows Guy wielding a lightsaber, Captain America's shield, and Hulk's hands) "<GASP!> It's that thing from that other thing that I like! Whoo! Awesome!!"
Starring: Emmet (Ryan Reynolds as Guy/Blue Shirt Guy); Can't Get Out (Lil Rel Howery as Buddy); Thoroughly Postmodern Millie (Jodie Comer as Millie Rusk/Molotov Girl); Keys Keys Keys, Keys in Free Guys. (Joe Keery as Walter "Keys" McKey) Only people in L.A. are going to get this joke... (cracks up); Bro Code (Taika Waititi as Antwan); 21 Jump Down Left Right AB Start Street (Channing Tatum as Revenjamin Buttons); Hugh Hackman (Patrick Vincent Curran and Hugh Jackman as Masked Avatar in Alley)...
Trailer Announcer: Coming soon... Free City 2! Bigger! Badder!
...Wait, Who's That Epic Voice? I Thought We Had Something Special, Ryan!; and Funny Name (Aaron W. Reed and Ryan Reynolds as Dude).
Ryan Reynolds and the Terrific, Heroical, Not Just Good, Very Great Day
The honest title for Free Guy was ‘Ryan Reynolds and the Terrific, Heroical, Not Just Good, Very Great Day’. Titles designed by Robert Holtby.
Ryan, you're a funny guy, but next time, make it a little less obvious that you helped write the script.
Millie: He's funny, and he's sweet, and he's so handsome.
Pokimane: He's also a really cute guy. And not just the face, you know, but, like, the whole thing. (giggles)
Guy: Then let me do it for you. "Guy... You... are... dreamy."
Female Video Subject 1: Also, he's, like, crazy hot.
Female Video Subject 2: Oh, my God, totally. I'd hit those pixels hard.
Viewer's Comments[]
You should say "That better be a licensed toy, or I will freak out." - J.R.Milton
Can you say "Like a Bantha!" in your epic voice? - Jay Koops
Say "Happy 100th birthday, Count Orlok" for the anniversary of Nosferatu. - CalciumChief
Say, "Good... good. It's all going according to plan. Muahahaha!" - Richard Briesch
Trivia[]
Reception[]
Production Credits[]
Voice Narration: Jon Bailey aka Epic Voice Guy
Title Design: Robert Holtby
Written by: Spencer Gilbert, Danielle Radford, & Lon Harris
Produced by: Spencer Gilbert
Associate Producer: Ryan O'Toole
Edited by: Kevin Williamsen
Post-Production Supervisor: Emin Bassavand
Post-Production Coordinator: Mikołaj Kossakowski
Assistant Editor: Rebecca Castaneda
Director of Video Production: Max Dionne